


A New Beginning

by Elvanen



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Twilight Series - All Media Types
Genre: Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, M/M, Master of Death Harry Potter, Not Beta Read, Not Canon Compliant
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-06
Updated: 2020-11-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:42:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27285859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elvanen/pseuds/Elvanen
Summary: Leaving behind a world of memories and the horrors of his past, 19-year-old Harry Potter escapes to Forks Washington. Despite his best efforts to live a normal muggle life, he soon gets sucked into the mystery of the bizarre Cullen family. Surrounded by vampires and werewolves, will Harry be able to escape his past and make a home in Forks, or will his past come back to haunt him?
Relationships: Edward Cullen/Harry Potter
Comments: 29
Kudos: 367
Collections: Harry Potter Crossovers





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfiction, the first thing I've written at all in years really, so please be kind. let me know any mistakes or inconsistencies you spot.  
> For timeline clarification, in this story, the Cullens arrived in Forks in early 2003 and enrolled in their freshman and sophomore years at Forks HS. The final battle took place in 2001 instead of 1998. Harry spends 2002 and 2003 holed up in Grimmauld Place in London. He arrives in Forks and starts school in February of 2004.

Chapter 1  
Harry had never considered himself particularly optimistic. He didn’t have much reason to be. As a child, he’d learned to accept his lot in life to the best of his abilities. Spending time on daydreams and hopes wouldn’t change the reality of his time at the Dursley’s. He’d been cautiously optimistic for his first few weeks at Hogwarts, holding on to the illusion of safety. That had been cracked when he encountered a troll on Halloween and completely shattered when he realized it was up to a group of eleven-year-olds to save the Sorcerer’s Stone.

During the war, his pessimism was out of necessity. He had to assume the worst and hold back hope lest he become reckless in his enthusiasm. Planning for the worst became second nature. It wasn’t often that anything ended in anything but the worst possible way. Despite all this, when he was finished unpacking and settling into his new house in Forks, Washington, he began to believe his fresh start in Forks really would work out for the better.

After the disaster that was the final battle and subsequent end to the war, Harry spent close to a year and a half isolated in Grimmauld Place. He’d lost almost everyone he cared about by the time the last marked death eater was apprehended and awaiting trial. There wasn’t anyone left who cared enough to pull him from the grief he’d been drowning in.

Eventually, he’d had the idea of moving to the muggle world. There wasn’t much left for him in England. The memories of his past followed him everywhere there. All he could see when he visited wizarding spaces were the horrors that had happened there. Muggle England wasn’t safe for him either, not with how many fans showed up every time he stepped out the door.  
So, moving to small-town muggle America seemed like a good solution.

It took a few months to get everything in order, but eventually, he arrived in Forks armed with a fake background courtesy of the goblins and a passable knowledge of muggle subjects up to the grade level he was pretending to be in. He was finally ready to start his new life.  
He’d bought a small cottage on the edge of town with the money Sirius had left him. It was comfortable, homey, and, most importantly, _completely his_. He’d never had a place like that before, somewhere that was truly his and no one else’s, somewhere he could call home. He couldn’t have possibly imagined how good it would feel to finally be free: free from the Dursleys, free from Voldemort and the war, free from the crushing weight of the wizarding world’s expectations, free. He was safe in normal, boring Forks.

That wasn’t the only surprising part of his new life. He’d expected to miss magic terribly, but all he could feel was relief. Magic had been his savior when he was eleven, but now it was more a burden than anything. With magic came memories, fans, scars, war, and endless grief. He hadn’t used any spells since he arrived in Forks and he could honestly say he was better off for it. He no longer even carried his wand with him. 

It’d been two weeks since his plane landed in Seattle and his new life had started. He’d spent that time unpacking and settling in, but now his period of unwinding was coming to an end. Today was his first day at Forks High. He knew that he’d want a high school diploma if he intended to live his life in the muggle world, so he’d enrolled as a sophomore for the 2003-2004 school year.

He starred in the mirror in the small bathroom of his new home, inspecting his reflection. His appearance hadn’t changed in the years since the final battle, not _really_. He hadn’t aged since the day he held all three hallows for the first time. He knew what it meant, but he avoided thinking about it as much as he could, avoided the implications. He didn’t want to acknowledge that he wasn’t aging, that he may never age, that he may be _immortal_ , cursed to outlive every friend he made, unchanged by death or the passage of time. 

So, no, he hadn’t changed _much_ , but he had changed. His famous lightning bolt scar had lightened steadily for the months after the battle, finally stopping near the sixth-month mark. It now stood a pale pink line, much lighter than the inflamed and angry red it had been for much of the war, but still far more noticeable than Harry would like. 

His eyes, too, had changed. His eyes stood out from his face even more than previously, not hidden behind glasses anymore, but they no longer sparkled like his mother’s had, displaying their mutual passion for life. To him, they seemed dead and cold, devoid of happiness. He hated that they had drifted so far in their resemblance to his mother. 

He stared in the mirror for one last moment, steeling himself against the nerves that threatened to overwhelm him. He hadn’t been in a crowded place much in the last few years. It was a setting he tended to avoid as much as possible, but he knew it was a necessity of high school. More than that, he _wanted_ to be around people, wanted to finally kick the last remnants of his period of self-isolation. He wasn’t truly ready to jump completely into the fray and make friends. The knowledge that he would one day outlive any potential connections he might form curbed that desire, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy some form of social interaction with his new peers. 

Harry turned sharply away from the mirror, grabbing his bag from its place on the floor and heading out the door. It was wet and rainy outside, as it always was in Forks. It wasn’t much different than England in that aspect really. To Harry, it felt like home. He hurried to climb into his car to escape the rain.

His car may have been far from the typical car seen in Forks, but Harry found himself surprisingly fond of it. It was a pickup truck that had been around since his parents were children. He’d purchased it for a good price from a man named Billy at the nearby reservation. It may have been old and rusted, but it was in surprisingly good condition. Apparently, Billy had a son who was a talented mechanic. 

Harry pulled out of his driveway and made the short drive to Forks High, making sure to be mindful of the slick roads. He arrived minutes later in the parking lot. Parking his car, he observed his surroundings. Despite the weather, there were quite a few students clustered in small groups around the edges of the building, likely seeking some small amount of protection from the rain under the narrow awnings. The building itself wasn’t that impressive. How could anything be after spending six years of schooling in a giant medieval castle? It was small, comprised of several tiny buildings connected by covered walkways. 

Harry got out of his truck and headed to the first of the buildings, following the sign that deemed it the front office. The school may have been tiny compared to Hogwarts, but that didn’t mean it would be easy for him to navigate. The front office was probably the place to get directions, he figured. 

The inside of the building had a much more pleasant atmosphere than the cold drizzle of the outside. It was warm, bright, and absolutely overcrowded with potted plants. A large desk sat in the center of the room, cluttered with papers and various office supplies. Behind the desk sat a plump, red-headed woman wearing a light purple blouse. She looked to be reading some sort of book, the novel clutched lightly in her hand and her small oval glasses perched at the tip of her nose. 

“May I help you?” She asked, looking up from her book at him. 

“My name is Hadrian Owens,” Harry answered, using the fake name he’d chosen with the help of the goblins. It was best if he didn’t have the name Harry Potter associated with him for as long as he was trying to hide from the slew of journalists and few remaining death eaters trying to find him. He was surprised to see her eyes light up and a small smile slide across her lips.

“Of course! You’re the new student. We don’t get many of those in Forks.” She turned to the side and rummaged through a messy stack of papers on her desk. After a moment she must have found what she’d been searching for, for she grinned and pulled a few papers out of the middle of the stack before turning back towards Harry. “Ah-ha! Here we go. Here’s your schedule and a map of the school.” 

She then proceeded to go over the papers with him. She walked him through his schedule, highlighting the best route to each on the map. She also gave him a few slips and instructed him to get them signed by each of his teachers and then to bring them back to her at the end of the day. 

She smiled at Harry and wished him a good stay in forks before waving him out the door. Once out of the office, he headed to building 3, where his first period English class took place. Entering the small classroom, he headed towards the teacher, Mr.Gillum. 

He took his slip up for the teacher, a tall, balding man, with thin, knobby limbs and a stern expression. Harry wasn’t afraid to admit he found the man and his Mcgonogall like expression slightly intimidating. He cautiously interrupted the teacher’s perusal of the classroom and introduced himself. After having his slip signed and being warned against causing “funny business” in class, Harry was directed to sit at the desk three rows back next to the window.  
He ended up sitting across the aisle from a girl with mousy brown hair and paper pale skin. She was doodling in her notebook when he entered but grinned up at him the moment he sat down.

“Oh my god, hi! You’re the new student, right? It’s great to meet you, I’m Julie Hart.” She seemed excited to meet him, which was odd in itself for Harry. She didn’t know anything about who he was or what he’d done, the name Harry Potter meant nothing to her. He knew she was probably only so interested in talking to him because he was the first new student in, well, a while, but she couldn’t look at him and immediately know everything he’d been through, everything he’d fought for. It was refreshing.

He smiled back, “My name is Hadrian Owens, but you can just call me Harry. It’s wonderful to meet you too.” He gave her a small smile and was surprised to see her blush before leaning closer to him than was necessary. _Oh no_ , he thought, _this better not become a common occurrence. I should just cut it off before it starts. I don’t want to be rude, but I don’t even_ like _women._

And hadn’t _that_ been a startling discovery. And not an easy one either. He spent most of his time on the run trying to convince himself that he loved Ginny and wanted to get back together with her. It wasn’t until after he felt a small amount of relief(and endless mounds of guilt) when he heard about her death a few weeks before the battle that he'd admitted it. He had loved her, yes, but not romantically. He cared about her and craved being a part of a family like the Weasleys, so he subconsciously latched himself onto her as a way into that family he so desperately wanted. He snapped himself back to the present as he heard Julie begin talking again. 

“You have an accent! That’s so cool, where’re you from?” He didn’t know why she seemed so enthusiastic about the way he spoke, but the way she was moving to rest a small hand on his shoulder gave him a clue. People may have called him oblivious for years, but he wasn't. Or, he _was_ , but he wasn’t _stupid_. He subtly scooted his chair out of her reach, too worried about offending his first possible friend in this new town. Her eyes lost a little bit of their brightness when he moved away, but she quickly recovered. 

“I’m from Surrey, England. It’s near London,” He replied. He was saved from further conversation by the bell ringing and Mr.Gillum calling the class’s attention.

Class passed by quickly enough. Despite Mr.Gillum’s overly stern disposition, his lesson was enjoyable and Harry soon found him to be a very competent teacher. After class let out, Julie immediately began talking to Harry again, offering to show him to his next class and inviting him to eat lunch with her and her friends. He declined the offer of assistance in navigating the way to his next class, as he was pretty sure he could make it on his own, but agreed to eat lunch at her table. 

His next two classes went smoothly. In second period history, the desk next to him was empty, so he didn’t have anyone trying to talk to him overly much. He had third-period maths with Julie and was able to seat himself next to her. She may not be his favorite person so far, but there wasn’t really anything wrong with her and he couldn’t deny that he appreciated having someone pleasant to talk to. He walked with her to lunch, grabbing his lunch from the line and then following her to her and her friend’s table in the center of the cafeteria. 

He sat with her to his left and was speedily introduced to her friends. To Julie’s left was Rachel Kent, a gossipy blond. Across from him sat Jessie Wagner, a short, nervous boy, and Robin Clarke, a friendly and intelligent looking girl with straw blonde hair. Finally, an oddly puppy-like boy that sat to his left was introduced as Russell Gray. 

Russell, or Russ, as he insisted Harry call him, was shaping up to be a fast favorite of Harry’s. He was enthusiastic in their conversation, but unlike with the other people he’d talked to today, he didn’t think it was because of the novelty of a new student. Rather, Harry got the impression that that was just his natural state. He was friendly and kind, offering him help catching up in classes and inviting him to spend Saturday at the beach with them. Harry’s initial reaction was to decline, but Russ looked at him with wide, hopeful eyes, and he immediately caved. It certainly didn’t hurt that Russ was pretty attractive. He had messy brown hair, bright blue eyes, and a truly infectious smile. All in all, Harry found him kind of adorable.

A few minutes into lunch, his attention was caught by a group sitting at one of the tables in the far corner. There were five of them. They all had identical plates of untouched food in front of them. None of them were talking or looking in his direction, which was more than he could say for the rest of the students in the room. They may not have looked much alike at first glance, all of varying hair colors and statures, but Harry noticed they had a few distinctive features in common. They all had the same paper white skin, paler even than Harry’s own, and he'd spent the better part of the last two years locked inside with no sun to speak of. Their faces didn’t share much in common, yet they all were unnaturally beautiful, perhaps some of the most beautiful people he’d ever encountered.

There were three boys and two girls. Of the two girls, one was tiny and pixie-like, with thin limbs and dark spiky hair. The hazy look in her eye reminded him much of Luna Lovegood. The other girl was her complete opposite, tall and model-like, with perfectly curled blond hair cascading down to the middle of her back. The first of the three boys was fairly tall and had a mass of honey-blond curls. The second was gigantic, at least 6 and a half feet tall, broad-shouldered and muscled.

The last one almost made Harry choke. At first glance, he was the spitting image of Cedric Diggory. After looking for a moment more, Harry decided there was some resemblance but not enough to really be more than a mild coincidence. The boy had the same perfect, angular features as the others, but had bronze hair and a much more boyish look. He was the shortest of the three, but still definitely tall enough to practically dwarf Harry. More so even than any of the others, he was beautiful. The most beautiful person he’d ever seen, which was saying something considering Harry had met plenty of veela over the years. Were they even human? How could they be? How could any mere human hope to rival the veela’s legendary good looks?

He turned to his left and nudged Julie.” Who are they?” He asked quietly, gesturing towards their table.

“Oh, I see you’ve spotted the Cullens, huh?” Julie answered, she didn’t sound overly surprised. ”That’s Edward, Emmett, and Alice Cullen and Jasper and Rosalie Hale. They moved here from Alaska last year. They live with Dr. Cullen and his wife.” Harry glanced back at them and saw that the bronze haired boy was now watching their table. _Awh crap_ , he thought. He knew he’d been caught staring and could feel himself blushing. He wondered how the boy had known though. He definitely shouldn't have been able to hear them talking about his family from as far away as they were.

“Which ones are the Cullens? None of them really look related.” Harry asked curiously.

“Oh, they aren’t” Rachel butted in, “except the two blonds, those two are Rosalie and Jasper, twins, none of them are related to each other. They’re all adopted. I hear it’s because Dr.Cullen’s wife can’t have kids.” She acted like this was the height of blasphemy, leaning in close and whispering it in a dark tone. Harry looked up again, the Cedric Diggory look-alike, Edward, was scowling now, like he’d heard Rachel talking about his mum. Harry grimaced. Ok, they definitely weren’t human. What were they then? Veela maybe? 

Harry resolved to think about it later and focused back on the matter at hand. When he did, he was immediately offended on the behalf of Mrs.Cullen. “I don’t really see how it matters whether their mum can have kids or not, it’s certainly not any of our business. They must be really wonderful people to have adopted that many kids.” Harry defended them. He hated gossip, having been the target of it for so many years at Hogwarts, and, from what little he knew of her, Mrs.Cullen didn’t sound like she at all deserved their ire. 

Rachel did not look happy that he hadn’t agreed with her, “I mean I _guess_. They’re all like together though. Alice and Jasper are dating and so are Emmett and Rosalie.” 

Harry frowned. He could see how that might be a bit of a scandal in a small town like this one, but it really wasn’t that big of a deal. “Well, yeah, that’s a little unusual, but it’s not any of our business. Plus it’s not like it’s actually incest or anything.”

Luckily the bell chose that moment to ring and thus save him from spending any more time in the _wonderful_ company of Rachel Kent. “Gossipy chit,” he muttered as he gathered up his things and left the table, not noticing the amused smile that Edward Cullen now sported. He left the cafeteria and headed straight towards his first class after lunch, biology.

Once he reached the classroom, he handed his slip off to the teacher to sign. Biology at Forks High was taught by Mr.Molina, a short middle-aged man with cropped black hair and glasses. He seemed just as happy to have a new student as all of his teachers so far had been but directed him to his seat before Harry had time to really be annoyed. Harry turned around and moved to walk down the aisle to where his seat was when he suddenly noticed exactly who it was he was to be sitting next to. There next to the empty seat he was set to occupy sat a murderous looking Edward Cullen. Gone was the indifferent gaze he’d met twice in the lunchroom. In its place was a glare that felt like it could kill him on the spot.

Surely that anger couldn’t be directed at him right? He hadn’t done anything to Edward! It had to be though, Edward was staring straight at him. He no longer looked anything like Cedric Diggory in that moment. Cedric had always been warm, soft smiles and kindness. He’d never seen Cedric’s face twisted in all-consuming anger like Edward’s was now. Maybe he really had heard them talking about his family at lunch? Except, if that really was it, wouldn’t he also know that Harry had defended his mother and gotten angry with Rachel?

Harry continued his walk down the aisle. Edward’s scare may have been filled to the brim with murderous rage, but it had nothing on Severus Snape’s glares in terms of sheer scariness. He carefully sat down in his seat next to Edward, being careful to keep plenty of distance. Harry may not have found his glare all that terrifying after years of enduring the dungeon bat’s constant sneering, but that didn’t mean he was completely stupid. He didn’t exactly fancy get punched in the face on the first day at a new school.

He pulled his notebook and a pencil out of his backpack since it looked like they were taking notes today. He busied himself setting his notes page up for a couple of minutes before finally looking up at his lab partner. Edward was staring at the front of the room, left hand clenched so tightly on the desk that it appeared to be crumbling under his fingers. His right hand was shaking where he clutched his pencil. His eyes were dark and bordered by large purple bruises.

It’s true, Harry hadn’t had the most reliable defense Against the Dark Arts teachings, what with most of his teachers trying to kill him and all, but he was lucky to have had Remus as his teacher in his third year, the year they’d learned about different humanoid magical beings. Remus truly was a fantastic teacher, and it was thanks to him that Harry could narrow down what Edward was. He had inhuman beauty, pale as snow skin, the hearing, bruised eyes, and supernatural strength for sure. Harry couldn’t be sure what he was until he saw a bit more, but he could narrow it down to four.

_Werewolf, Incubus, Vampire, Veela_

In a normal person, the revelation that they were sitting next to a magical non-human would be cause for concern, but Harry had never been prejudiced. He knew that many creatures were completely functioning members of wizarding society and didn’t deserve the hate they got. Remus was a perfect example of that. He was a truly good man, one of the best Harry had had the pleasure of knowing _and_ a werewolf, something a good portion of the wizarding populace thought impossible.

Unfortunately for Harry, being able to narrow down his options hadn’t given him any insight into why Edward was so angry.

He didn’t have much need to interact with Edward during biology, as they were just taking notes on the different phases of cellular reproduction. He made sure to keep a watch on him in order to look out for any indicators of possible mood shifts. Not much changed throughout the class, and Edward was out the door the moment the bell rang. Overall, the entire interaction, if you could call it that, struck Harry as weird. What possible problem could Edward have? Was it due to Edward’s status as an unknown magical non-human? Maybe he recognized Harry? Although he figured that couldn’t be the case as he hadn’t seemed to know him when they’d made eye contact in the cafeteria. 

The rest of the day passed by easily. Harry had fifth-period study hall, during which he sat alone and worked on the homework he’d already received from his first few classes. Harry’s sixth period was gym. All the gym teacher had them do that day was stretch and then walk the track, which would have been unbearably boring if not for Russ’s presence at his side and ever-constant chatter.

When the day was over, Harry was glad to say goodbye to his newfound friends and head to the office. That had ended up being the most exhausting day in Harry’s recent memory, which really didn’t say much considering how Harry had spent the last two years, but still, Harry was quite eager to get home. First, though, he had to stop by the office to turn in his signed slips. He headed back into the building that held the front office. Upon entering, Harry was surprised to see Edward Cullen leaning forward over the desk, trying to convince the receptionist to switch him out of the biology class that they shared. 

Which, ok wow, that was a little much. Harry knew Edward had some kind of problem with him, but that didn’t really warrant practically begging to get away from him like he was doing now. It was kind of overkill really. Couldn’t he just have asked to switch seats or something? Harry wasn’t going to lie and say he wasn’t a little offended by that. Yeah, he didn’t really know Edward or care about his opinion, but to go that far out of his way to avoid him? It was a bit hurtful really, and more than a little anger-inducing. Harry hadn’t even _done anything._ At all. He hadn’t said one word to the guy.

A few moments later, Edward finally turned around to leave, apparently giving up. It was then that he spotted Harry standing behind him. His expression morphed instantly, twisting and contorting with the anger he still clearly felt for Harry. Edward spent another beat staring at Harry before he turned sharply and stormed out.

And here Harry’d been hoping for a boring, _normal_ time in Forks. That dream didn’t last long. Clearly, Harry’s penchant for attracting any and all kinds of trouble lived on. Merlin, Harry was _exhausted_. He couldn’t wait to get home and sink into a warm bubble bath to relax. He smiled awkwardly at the still flustered receptionist before quickly passing off his slips and escaping home.

When he got home, he quickly reheated and ate some leftovers before unwinding in the magically-enhanced bath. (He may have been willing to give up most magic things, but years of sneaking into the prefects’ bathroom at Hogwarts had long since spoiled him.) He knew he really should spend a little time on homework, but he was just so _tired_. He instead went straight to bed, hoping to call it an early night and get plenty of rest to deal with whatever fate decided to throw at him next. Unfortunately, sleep was not easy to find that night, and it ended up being quite a while before he finally drifted off to sleep. As he lay in bed trying to fall asleep, all he could about was the mystery of Edward Cullen and how much he hoped for the next day to be a day free of oddities and surprises.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
Edward had lived a long time, far more than the average human at this point. Decades of high school coupled with his and Alice’s gifts had left him dulled to the excitement. Life was really quite boring, the same things happening over and over. He’d seen almost everything high school had to offer by now. Anytime something potentially exciting did manage to happen, either he caught it in the minds of those around him or Alice’s visions alerted him. There wasn’t much that could surprise him anymore.

But if there was one person who could continually catch him off his guard, that person would be Hadrian Owens, the newest student at Forks High. It started off mildly that morning. They hadn’t been expecting a new student. Edward was sure gossip had been all over town about the newcomer, but the Cullens weren’t exactly known for being social. Alice hadn’t had a vision about anything to do with him either, which wasn’t altogether unheard of. No, it didn’t happen often that Alice would miss something, but it did happen _occasionally_. Usually, Alice only missed things when she was either devoting all her abilities to one person’s future, like keeping watch on the Volturi or Jasper’s eternal struggle with bloodlust or when that person just wasn’t all that important. Alice mainly kept watch on the futures of their family, so if someone didn’t have many interactions with them, it was likely they wouldn’t show up in a vision. Edward figured the new resident was unknown to them because of that rather than Alice focusing on something else, as Edward had no reason to think she’d be watching one particular person. It made sense. Of course the newcomer wasn’t important. It was just another human, what reason would any of them have for interacting with him more than necessary? 

Edward hardly thought about the new student at all. Unfortunately for him, as far as he could tell from the thoughts of the student body, he was the only one. All morning he heard people thinking and thinking about the kid, Hadrian apparently. New students were a rarity in Forks. Edward and his family had been the last ones. They had been the first to move to Forks instead of moving away in years. So, as far as the students of Forks High School were concerned, a new student was practically the second coming of Merlin. They couldn’t wait to talk to him, befriend him, gossip about him. They were like children with a shiny new toy.

By lunch, Edward was thoroughly sick of this. Edward knew his gift was useful but Jesus did he hate it sometimes. All-day all anyone could think about had been Hadrian this and Harry that. Apparently, the boy was considered beautiful. Most of the girls and even some of the boys already fancied themselves in love with him. If anyone were to ask Edward (not that they _would_ , but _still_ ) he’d have told them how ridiculous they were being. They didn’t know two things about the kid, only that he was new and therefore interesting. 

Edward made his way through the lunchline mechanically. It hardly mattered what he got, he couldn’t eat human food anyways. He only got lunch in the first place to keep up appearances and avoid drawing anyone’s attention. He sat down swiftly at the table with his siblings. Edward did his best to block out the voices of the students around him but didn’t have much luck. If he didn’t know better, he could swear he felt a migraine coming on. 

His sibling’s thoughts weren’t all that surprising and not nearly as irritating as the humans’, so he chose to focus on them for the moment. Emmett was planning on challenging Jasper to a wrestling match sometime in the near future to relieve some of his boredom. Rosalie was contemplating her reflection from where she could see it on a nearby reflective surface. Alice was looking through Jasper’s future. It had been a few days since they’d last fed and they were really in need of a hunting trip before one of them(probably Jasper) snapped and lost control. Jasper was in pain, unfortunately. Not that that was really all that unusual. Out of all of his coven, Jasper struggled the most with their chosen lifestyle. He’d had a completely different immortal upbringing to the rest of them and still hadn’t quite adjusted. Overall, none of his siblings’ thoughts were all that surprising. 

He was snapped out of his musings by a low British voice. The new kid, Harry, Edward figured. “Who are they?” Harry whispered. He may have said it quietly, but Edward could still hear it clear as day across the crowded room. Vampire hearing really was something.

“Oh, I see you’ve spotted the Cullens, huh?” He heard Julie Hart say. “That’s Edward, Emmett, and Alice Cullen and Jasper and Rosalie Hale. They moved here from Alaska last year. They live with Dr. Cullen and his wife.” Edward looked towards where he could hear their voices and immediately caught the brightest green gaze he’d ever seen. He could see why the humans found the boy attractive, he really was beautiful for a human. Maybe attractive enough o rival a couple of his siblings, which was saying something considering they all had a supernatural headstart in that department. The boy had aventurine green eyes that stood out starkly from his pale skin. He had terribly messy hair the color of ink and angular, defined features. A jagged scar started halfway down his forehead and traced the shape of lighting down to where it cut through his eyebrow and ended. It was quite noticeable.

It was then that Edward attempted to locate Hadrian’s thoughts and found himself unable to. He tried searching for the sea of minds for it but to no avail. That had certainly never happened before and Edward hoped it didn’t again. It was very disconcerting, not being able to immediately pinpoint their thoughts. Maybe he just needed to be closer? He had never required physical proximity before, but he was unwilling to accept that he just couldn’t read Hadrian’s mind. It just wasn’t possible. That was the second time Hadrian Owens managed to shock the ever-knowing Edward Cullen. Hadrian then blushed and turned back towards Julie, completely unaware of Edward’s inner turmoil. 

Edward tried to focus back on the conversation between Hadrian and the humans at the lunch table. There was no point panicking over a problem with his gift when he hardly knew anything about it. He’d wait, try to keep calm for now, and wait to see if it was just a fluke or a mistake. He turned his attention once again to the new student.

“Oh, they aren’t” Rachel interjected. She was one human that Edward certainly wasn’t fond of. She’d had a short-lived but strong crush on him back when he was the new student last year. When he hadn’t reciprocated, her thoughts had turned to jealousy and scorn rapidly. “except the two blonds, those two are Rosalie and Jasper, twins, none of them are related to each other. They’re all adopted. I hear it’s because Dr.Cullen’s wife can’t have kids.” Edward clenched his fist angrily under the table. He hated hearing people talk badly about Esme. She was a wonderful and loving woman, he couldn’t have asked for a better mother-figure. What did these humans know about her? What right did they have to scorn her for her inability to reproduce?

This time it was the words Hadrian spoke that surprised him. “I don’t really see how it matters whether their mum can have kids or not, it’s certainly not any of our business. They must be really wonderful people to have adopted that many kids.” Hadrian Owens defended. Edward did appreciate it, but he knew Hadrian would be disappointed if he thought gossip was going to be a rarity in a small town like this one. 

Rachel scowled, “I mean I guess. They’re all like together though. Alice and Jasper are dating and so are Emmett and Rosalie.” Edward saw a frown appear on Hadrian’s face. Now that was finally a reaction he could expect from a normal human, he was thankful to note. Not that he was happy that Rachel looked to be succeeding in turning him against them. He’d almost started to hope that Hadrian wouldn’t be like the rest of this gossip-hungry town, but he was almost relieved to not have another think about Hadrian Owens that shocked him. And he understood why that would be what made Hadrian grimace, really. The dynamic in his family was always a scandal, not just in small towns either. No, there was no actual incestual relationships as none of them were related or even actual adopted siblings. To the humans, however, it was just close enough to make them look down on it. 

“Well, yeah, that’s a little unusual, but it’s not any of our business. Plus it’s not like it’s actually incest or anything.” was what Hadrian said next. Alright, so Hadrian wasn’t just like all of the other human teenagers. It wasn’t a big deal really. It piqued Edward’s interest some, but even if Hadrian was a little more understanding than the other students, he was still a human. So no, not really that big of a deal in itself. 

Except Edward _couldn’t read his mind_. If it hadn’t been for that, Edward would’ve had been thankful for Hadrian’s defense, yes, but he wouldn’t have given him another thought except to bemoan the metaphorical headache that his arrival in the town was causing Edward. Edward was reluctant to admit that he couldn’t read the thoughts of the new student and knew that it had to be a mistake. He’d surely be able to pinpoint the boy’s mind any minute now. It was probably a result of the crushing weight of hundreds of people’s thoughts all focused on one little human novelty getting to him. 

Ok, so he may have been in denial, just a little bit. However, whatever silly excuses he made up in his head, it still had the same result. Hadrian Owens was interesting, to Edward. Not terribly interesting of course, but more interesting than any human he’d encountered anytime recently. Enough to make Edward notice him, even if it was only to be annoyed with him. Not truly annoyed with him exactly, more annoyed with not knowing something, even something so seemingly insignificant. He’d long ago gotten used to the lack of mysteries brought about by his and Alice’s gifts. To make up for the mystery of Hadrian’s thoughts, Edward turned to the thoughts of the people around him.

_He’s sitting at **my** table. They’re all looking at me. Or well, him, but pretty much the same thing._ Julie’s thoughts were focused, predictably, on the attention she was getting. They often were.

_I can’t believe he’s siding with **them** on this. Who does this little twerp think he is? I should be the one getting the attention. He’s not special. He’s not even that pretty._ came Rachel’s thoughts, as spiteful and vain as they ever were. 

_He’s so sweet. And pretty. So so pretty. I wonder if he’d like me? Does he even like guys?_ Russell Gray’s thoughts continued to ramble on. He was mostly harmless, a little vacuous maybe, but not malicious like the two girls’.

He could hear every tiny thought from the students around Hadrian, but nothing from the boy himself. It was then that Edward heard the lunch bell ring and saw Hadrian rise from his seat. “Gossipy Chit,” he heard Hadrian mutter under his breath as he fled the cafeteria. Edward smirked, amused. Funny little human. Edward turned away from the door Hadrian had disappeared through and back to his siblings as they all stood to leave. 

“What’s the new human think of us? Scared yet?” Emmett asked, as lighthearted as he always was.

Edward shrugged, “I don’t know,” he admitted. He wasn’t much in the mood to explain the blank space that occupied the area Hadrian’s thoughts should have been to him, but he wasn’t hiding it or anything. He’d tell everyone later, anyway. Fortunately, Emmett wasn’t all that interested and walked off to his classes. He, Jasper, and Rosalie were all posing as juniors this year, a grade above Alice and Edward. 

Edward walked away from the students still milling around the cafeteria and moved towards his fourth-period class with Mr.Molina. It wasn’t his favorite class, but not altogether unbearable. Mr.Molina was an enthusiastic man, if not all that intelligent. Maybe somewhat above the human average, yes, but nothing special, especially when compared to the average century-year-old vampire. A hundred years of no sleep gave people lots of free time to learn and improve their intellect, after all. 

He settled into his chair quickly, pulling the necessary supplies from his bag. He was lucky to have the table to himself. He was the only student in class who did, likely due to the subconscious fear brought on in humans by his being a vampire. Edward stared out the window as students slowly entered the room and took their seats. It was raining, of course. It had been months since Forks had more than a few minutes of sunshine at a time. 

A handful of minutes later, he noticed Hadrian Owens walking through the door at the front of the room. It would seem they had this class together, then. Edward was glad he’d have more exposure to the boy whose thoughts he couldn’t read, hopeful that proximity would fix whatever was causing Hadrian’s thoughts to be hidden from him, even if it would mean giving up the extra seat at his desk, even if he knew he wouldn’t find anything interesting in Hadrian’s mind. There was nowhere else for the boy to sit, after all. 

It was then that Hadrian’s scent finally drifted far enough in the room to reach Edward’s nose. He spared some small space in his mind to wonder how he could’ve possibly missed _this_ for that long. The vast majority of his thought process at that moment, however, was overcome by Hadrian’s scent. Oh God, his _scent._ Edward may have lived nine decades as a vampire, always surrounded by the delicious scent of humans day in and day out, but he could swear he’d never come across a scent like this one before. All others paled in comparison to the mouthwatering odor of the boy now turning to move down the aisle. 

Edward had spent most of his immortal life training himself to fight the desire to kill humans, but every ounce of self-control he’d built up flew out the window the instant Edward caught wind of Hadrian’s blood. He felt bowled over, completely caught off guard by the force of the hunger within him. His throat felt like a hot iron was pressed up against the walls. He was distantly aware of his face twisting in hunger as he plotted the best way to kill the unlucky boy.

And he would kill him, of course. Any humanity he’d managed to cling to over the years, managed to cage the monster withing him with, was gone now. All that mattered was draining Hadrian Owens dry as soon as possible. The boy was nearing the table now, looking not nearly as scared as the situation called for, more determined, and maybe a little nervous. Edward could easily do it, kill him in an instant. He’d be dead before he knew what was happening. The rest of the people in the room wouldn’t serve as much of an obstacle, he could take care of them before help had time to reach them. 

He gripped the edge of the table hard enough to see it crumble. Oh, how easy it would be to reach over and snap his neck right then. He couldn’t do it, not now at least. He wasn’t thinking rationally. He could take down the unfortunate boy with the delicious blood and all the humans around him easily, but they would have time to fear him and, more importantly, to scream for help. He’d end up exposing his entire family, maybe not as vampires, exactly, but as murders, monsters. They’d have to move again, and quickly. They’d be looked for if he committed the atrocity he was planning in his head. The people of this town wouldn’t just accept that the boy who’d murdered twenty residents had disappeared along with his family. He couldn’t do that to his family. They may not have been blood-related, but he cared for them as much as any family cared for each other.

He stopped breathing, trying to gain a reprieve from that wonderful scent and the murderous thoughts it brought with it. He pictured the faces of his family, especially his father’s. He could picture the exact way Carlisle’s face would twist if Edward were to go through with it. He would be understanding, of course, and endlessly forgiving, but disappointed. Oh so disappointed. Edward wasn’t sure he’d be able to take seeing his sire’s face crease as he took in the blood-red eyes of his son in all but blood. He couldn’t do that to him. 

Hadrian was staring at him now, he noticed. He seemed curious and perhaps a bit frustrated, oddly enough. His face displayed none of the terrible fear he should rightly be feeling, considering how close he’s just come to death. Edward does acknowledge that he would have no way of knowing he’d almost died, but Edward knew that his face alone must be terrifying, the face of a predator about to attack their prey, so it would be sensible to be afraid. This, too, surprised Edward in a way. Whereas before Hadrian’s actions were unusual, now they filled Edward with anger. Didn’t the silly little human _know_ how much danger he was in? 

Perhaps it wasn’t rational for Edward to be angry at Hadrian Owens. It was hardly his fault his blood smelled good, but _god_ , did the boy not have any sense? Suddenly, Edward knew he hated him, hated the stranger who had almost turned him into a monster. Edward felt like Hadrian Owens was his own personal monster in that. Designed perfectly to destroy Edward, with his blank mind and tantalizing blood, his fragile little body. He hid in that misplaced anger, anything to shield him from the torture of the boy’s blood. 

He could do this, it was only an hour. He could avoid killing him and feeding from him for that long, at least. He lent farther from his deskmate, trying to put as much distance between the two as he could. An hour, just an hour. He would not let the beautiful boy with the silent mind and indescribably tantalizing blood be his ruin.

By now class had long since started and Hadrian had turned back towards the front of the room, diligently taking notes. Edward didn’t bother trying to pay attention, it wouldn’t do him much good. He wasn’t sure he would’ve been able to and it wasn’t like he didn’t already know whatever it was they were supposed to be learning that day. Edward had been through high school nine times by this point, he had multiple medical degrees. There was nothing that Mr.Molina could teach them that he didn’t already know.

The class period passed slowly, tortuously. To Edward, that hour seemed the longest he’d ever experienced, but he made it. The moment the bell rang, he was up and out the door. He was barely able to restrain himself from running at full speed in his haste to escape. He made his way out to his car, immediately shutting himself in and locking the doors. He needed to remove himself from the ever-present bloodlust that he’d felt for more than eight decades. It seemed to have increased tenfold after the almost disaster that was biology. He could afford to miss his next class.

He put some music on, grateful for the small amount of distraction it was able to provide. He rested his head against the steering wheel and tried to gather what little was left of his sanity. It did seem to help. After a quarter of an hour gathering his thoughts, he felt quite a bit better, most likely due to the clean and Hadrian-free air he was breathing now. He felt capable of rational thought once again. He didn’t have to kill Hadrian. He could do this. He could switch out of biology, surely, maybe spend a few days with the Denali clan in Alaska. Everything seemed easier now that he was left with only memories of that terrible wonderful scent instead of the thing itself. 

It was close to the end of last block by the time I felt well enough to be surrounded by human scents again. He steeled himself before climbing back out of his car and heading towards the front office. He was lucky that the office was empty of anyone but the secretary. He leaned over the desk onwards her. He wasn’t a huge fan of using his supernatural good looks and his gift to manipulate people. Frankly, it made him uncomfortable, but he certainly knew how to when it was necessary. Now was one of those times. Well, it wasn’t necessary exactly, but it would ease the way.

He smiled softly at the woman, “Excuse me, Ma’am? I was wondering if you might be able to help me with my schedule?” He kept his voice soft and soothing as he monitored her thoughts for a reaction.

“Oh,” she seemed a little caught off guard, Edward noted,” of course Edward, what can I do to help you?” _too young. Pull yourself together Marjorie, he’s half your age._

“I was wondering if I might be able to drop fourth-period Biology with Mr.Molina and move to a higher level class?” 

“I’ll see what I can do Edward, there might be an opening in P chemistry or Physics, but I doubt it. Those classes are usually pretty full up. Surely there isn’t a problem with Mr.Molina?” she worried. 

“No, not at all,” He was quick to soothe her,” I just feel that I’m a bit ahead of the material in his class and could due with something a bit more challenging.” _oh, of course. That makes more sense, I couldn’t imagine what a boy as well-mannered as Edward Cullen would have against Mr.Molina. I can’t say I’m really surprised he wants something more challenging. Four-point-oh GPAs, the whole lot of them, never a wrong answer. Lord knows I’ve heard the teachers complain about them enough._

She typed away on her computer for a moment before responding. “Both those classes are full beyond capacity as it is. I’m sorry, but I can’t get you out of biology.” and she truly did sound sorry.

“Surely there’s something you can do? Would I be able to drop the class maybe?” He leaned farther forward, putting on his most charming smile and staring into her dull brown eyes. Her cheeks turned red.

“Oh um,” she stuttered. _Too young_ she reminded herself. “I’m really sorry, Mr.Cullen, but there’s nothing I can do to help you. You’ll just have to endure it for the rest of the year.” _He hast to have a problem with Mr.Molina, or maybe a student in the class? What else could it be? I don’t know why he’d be so desperate to get out if it really was just a case of boredom. Couldn’t he just endure it? It’s already more than halfway through the year._

“It’s alright, I can see there’s nothing you can do,” he said, giving up for the time being. He turned around to leave. And was suddenly facing Hadrian Owens. How’d he miss this? Was he really that much off his game today to miss the absolutely delectable smell that now saturated every particle of air in this tiny room? Now that he’d noticed it, he could hardly ignore it. His face contorted with the anger he felt instantly. It was no easier to hold himself back from killing now than it had been a couple of hours ago, but Edward managed better this time. Edward took only a moment to study the tiny little human menace in front of him, surprised to find Hadrian glaring at him, before fleeing the front office.

He slid into the driver’s seat of his Volvo a moment later, having moved quicker than the average human was capable of. His siblings were already there. Gulping in as much clean, Hadrian-free air as he could, he tried to gain some calm back. He clutched the steering wheel hard enough to hear it creak when their thoughts turned towards him. They knew something was wrong with him.

“Is everything ok, Edward?” Alice asked softly, leaning forward from her place in the backseat.

“Yeah, Eddie, what happened to get you all grumpy?” that was Emmett, of course. Edward didn’t respond, instead choosing to escape the parking lot of Forks High as quickly as he could. There would be time for explanations at home. First, they just had to get there without Edward committing mass murder. He was pushing seventy before he was a block away from the school. They had to get home. 

Around me, they’d all turned to Alice, hoping she’d know what was going on. She didn’t, as her visions only allowed her to see things that had yet to occur and not things that had already happened. He knew she’d be searching his future now, and most likely seeing him fleeing to their sister coven, the Denali’s.

“You’re leaving.” she murmured. It wasn’t a question. She knew he was, just not what had happened to cause it.  
“I am,” he responded. He had to. He considered for a moment staying instead, but he knew what staying would mean. Alice’s vision confirmed it, flickering to show him holding the cold, lifeless body of Hadrian Owens, bright eyes dead and staring at the ceiling. Edward’s own eyes bright red with the intake of human blood. Edward clenched the steering wheel tight.

“Oh,” Alice muttered, sounding sad, “I see. I’ll miss you, even if you only end up staying a couple of days. You should tell Carlisle once we get home, he’ll want to know.” The car stopped as they arrived in front of their house.

Alice looked at him with her wide, knowing eyes and flitted a dainty hand to touch his shoulder briefly. “You’ll do the right thing, I know you will. You can do this, Edward,” she reassured, sounding confident. The sentiment was lost on Edward, unfortunately, for he could see in her thoughts the anxiety that false confidence hid. She left him alone in the car then, understanding his need for space.

He stayed in the car for a few more minutes before making his way to Carlisle’s study. He’d tell his father first, then explain the citation to everyone else. He didn’t look forward to their reactions, especially Rosalie’s, but he would fill them in anyway. They deserved better than to be left in the dark to worry about him as he ran away to Alaska. He could do this, he had to. He would not let himself give in to the monster he’d successfully buried for decades. He would not allow himself to. 

He prepared himself for their questions and the next few days as he stared at the cross on the wall of Carlisle’s study. He would not damn the soul he didn’t believe he possessed with an atrocity like the one he’d been so close to committing today.


	3. Chapter 3

After a sleepless night of trying to figure out Edward Cullen, Harry really hadn’t made much progress. He did, however, have a plan. Or, _part_ of a plan, but, well, he always was better at rushing into things now wasn’t he? First, he’d list anything and everything he knew about magical beings and creatures that even somewhat resembled the Cullens. Second, for the rest of the week, he’d keep an eye on the Cullens and write down anything strange he noticed. Finally, this sunday he’d head to the nearest magical shopping district in Seattle and purchase as many books as he could on magical beings and compare notes with his observations about Edward and his family.

It wasn’t a very detailed plan, but Harry felt that it didn’t need to be. There just wasn’t much more to it than that. Plus, he’d always preferred having a bit of wiggle room in unfamiliar scenarios. He’d watch, wait, research, and revise the plan if needed. There wasn’t really anything that could go wrong.

Except it _did._ Almost immediately. The next day during lunch, Edward Cullen was nowhere to be seen. He was a no show in biology, as well. His siblings were there, but no Edward. In fact, he wasn’t at school the rest of the week. 

Despite all evidence to the contrary, Harry didn’t want to think it had anything to do with him. He knew that the guy had a problem with him, of course, but surely he wouldn’t skip four days of school over it? It just didn’t make sense. Unlike at Hogwarts, he wasn’t anything special. He was new, but he didn’t think that could be it. Edward Cullen had been new last year, and he hadn’t seemed at all interested in Harry during lunch. Harry just really didn’t know what it could be.

Harry was not accustomed to not knowing why people hated him. Back at Hogwarts and in the wizarding world, there’d been plenty of people who hated Harry at first sight. At least then Harry knew that it was “Harry Potter, The-boy-who-lived, the Chosen One, The Gryffindor Golden Boy” that they’d hated and not _Harry._. Edward Cullen didn’t know who he was, as far as Harry could tell. Harry just didn’t _know_ what his problem with him was. And Harry didn’t like not knowing. He’d always been a bit too nosy for his own good, and this wasn’t any different. 

Harry was disappointed to not have a chance to observe Edward, but overall he was relieved to note that the next day was much calmer than the first. People still stared at him wherever he went, but the intense quality to their gazes had lessened considerably. At this rate it would only take a few days until they were completely used to his presence. His first periods had gone much the same as the day before. Julie sat beside him in first and third period once again. Julie whispered to him throughout both of those classes, seemingly determined to fill him in on every piece of gossip that had occurred in the last year at least. It was somewhat annoying, but not completely detestable. She was easy to tune out and required very little input from Harry.

It wasn’t till lunch that Harry discovered that Edward Cullen was gone. The rest of his siblings were there, however, seated at the same table as yesterday. Harry decided he’d have to be content observing them from afar instead of Edward as long as he was a no show. It was a little hard to pay attention to them, admittedly, when Russ was always drawing him into one conversation or another, so Harry really didn’t get much more information. 

Fourth period was much calmer without the constant suffocating anger of his deskmate that had been present the day before. He managed to finish most of his homework during fifth period, leaving his night free for Edward-based research. In sixth period gym, they played volleyball, and Harry somehow managed to impress Russ with his immediate success in the game. Harry decided to attribute it to his finely toned instincts from years of Quidditch. Wizard's favorite sport may not have required much of the running around that muggle sports did, but it required a fair amount of athletic ability and aim.

Harry rushed home that night, eager to start his research. He went immediately to work on the Cullen mystery. He first grabbed his wand from where he’d hid it in a warded box under the floorboards in the guestroom. He then went to the hall closet to grab his trunk. He’d stashed it there, under heavy concealment charms and locks, right after he arrived in Forks. He knew he’d need it at some point. Despite his lifelong wish to be normal, he’d never managed to live uneventfully for very long. He’d just hoped it would take longer than two and half weeks before he inevitably had to get it out again. 

It didn’t take him long to take down the concealment charms and bypass the wards with the password he’d set. He’d used parseltongue, secure in the knowledge that the only other person who’d be able to get through it was long dead. Once the trunk was open, he grabbed any and all books that might have the information he needed and quickly put the trunk back where it belonged. He sat at the kitchen table for hours that night, researching and compiling lists of all information that seemed even slightly relevant. After hours spent bent over stacks of books, he finally collected all the information he’d be able to for the time being.

The first portion of his notes was dedicated to Veela. Veela were fire-based creatures, and as such loathed the cold and wet. They were known for their fair looks and beauty. They had an allure that caused people to have an extreme reaction to their attractiveness. They were fairly strong in human form, but not extremely. More than average for a human, for sure, but not enough to be inhuman. They could develop bird-like features at will. 

The Cullens did fit some aspects of this, but there was too much that didn’t fit for Harry to think it was the solution. Most of the Cullens didn’t have light coloring, Edward appeared to be much stronger than a Veela, if his table-crushing in biology was anything to go by, and, maybe the most telling, they lived in one of the rainiest places on earth. Veelas hated the type of weather common here, they wouldn’t be abv to stand Forks for very long without showing signs of it. 

The second being he researched was werewolves. Werewolves had the molten amber eyes that the Cullens had, they were incredibly strong, they had strong senses, and the forests around Forks would be perfect for the full moon. However, that wouldn’t explain the unnatural paleness or beauty. Harry decided not to rule it out for now. It certainly made more sense than a Veela.

The third creature he took notes on was the incubus (or succubus, in the case of the female Cullens.) There wasn’t a lot that he could find in the books he had, as they were quite a bit rarer than the Veela or Werewolf. They were supernaturally beautiful and quite strong, they didn’t have a particular preference for climate or geography like the previous two, and some of them were terribly pale, although maybe not to the degree that the Cullens were. The part of the information he found most conflicting with his view of Edward Cullen and his siblings was the behavior. Incubi and Succubi fed off of sexual interaction. As far as Harry could tell, the Cullens were careful to distance themselves from the population of Forks as much as possible, something that would be unlikely for Incubi and Succubi.

The last portion of his research for the night was split into different categories, as there was more than one type of Vampire. The first type was what was common in the wizarding world and held much more to the Vampire myths that the muggles had. They didn’t need to consume blood very often, only a couple times a year, and were perfectly capable of eating human foods as well. They weren’t visible in mirrors to anyones but themselves, they were allergic to garlic much in the same way that Werewolves were allergic to silver, and had ever present fangs. They could go out in the sun with certain spells, but without them they’d have something similar to an allergic reaction or severe sunburn. The second type tended to keep to themselves quite a lot. They had separated from the magical world centuries ago and formed their own governments. They were strong, fast, and beautiful, with pale, hard skin and bright red eyes. They had fangs that they kept hidden except when feeding, which they deep once every one to two weeks. They glittered in the sun, funnily enough. 

The Cullens fit this definition fairly well as well. Living in Forks where the sun was seen once in a blue moon would make sense. Harry figured they’d probably be the first type rather than the second, as there wasn’t the string of disappearances nearby that he’d expect from seven vampires feeding every two weeks. The physical description was them to a tee, except one, rather important, aspect. The Cullens had amber eyes and not red. 

So, after hours of research, Harry wasn’t much closer to a solution. He knew a lot more about each option than before and had even managed to eliminate the Veela as a possibility, but he still had three options that the Cullens just didn’t _quite_ fit. It was endlessly frustrating, he’d been sure that he could at least get down to two possibilities. He was tempted to go over everything again immediately or maybe make a spontaneous trip to the nearest wizarding shopping district for books. However, he knew that that wouldn’t do much good and would only stress him. Instead, he packed all his books back into his trunk and put it back in the closet, forgoing most of the words as he’d need it again in a few days. He put his wand back in it’s compartment and headed for bed. He hoped that after a good night's rest he’d be able to think clearer. That was, if he was even able to get to sleep at all.  
\-----------------------  
He had been able to sleep, thankfully. In fact, he’d fallen asleep the second he hit the bed, still above the covers and in jeans. He’d really underestimate how exhausted the last couple of days had left him. Unfortunately, the situation didn’t look any better in the morning. He was still stuck on the mystery he’d found himself sucked into. He resolved to keep his visit to the wizarding world till this weekend and spend the rest of the week observing where he could.

The rest of the week went much the same as the beginning had. Each day when Harry walked in to lunch he expected Edward to be there, and each day he wasn't. It was getting to Harry a bit, if he was being honest. How was he supposed to observe if the git didn’t even show up for school? Besides his mounting frustration, things were as normal as he could have ever hoped for them to be. The student populace got used to his presence and stopped staring by the end of the week and Harry grew closer to his new friends.  
\----------------------  
In the chaos that was the situation with Edward, he’d forgotten he’d promised Russ to go to the La Push beach that Saturday. He was, of course, reminded of this by Russ on Friday, as the guy couldn’t seem to stop talking about it. Going would mean pushing his shopping trip to Sunday. Harry wished he could blow it off and just continue with his previous plans, but Russ was terribly excited and Harry didn’t have it in him to disappoint him.  
So here he was, bright and early Saturday morning, on his way down to La Push beach to enjoy one of Forks rare sunny days. Harry soon learned that _sunny_ in Forks didn’t at all mean _warm._ When he got there, Russ and Rachel were already there, seated around a fire they’d built to keep warm. Rachel was scowling at him, as she usually was, when he got out of his truck, and Russ was waving cheerfully and offering him some of the hot chocolate he’d brought.The others arrived soon after and joined the group crowded around the fire. They spent the hours till lunch there, talking and laughing.

And Harry had fun, a surprising amount really. He hadn’t expected to really enjoy spending time with them. He’d come into Forks with the rule to not make friends. They’d outgrow him one day, wither away and die. Watching friends die hurt, Harry had had it happen enough times for that lesson to sink in. He wasn’t sure he could stand to see it happen again. 

It was more than just that though. The people he was now surrounded by may have been only a little younger than him in years, but he’d lived through a _war,_ for Merlin’s sake. That type of thing tended to age people beyond their years. Harry couldn’t say he felt like an old man yet, not exactly, but he definitely didn’t feel like his new friends. They were all so young and innocent, fresh-faced and careless. They seemed so worry free to him. He knew that they weren’t of course, but most of the daily struggles of teenagers seemed so petty and meaningless to him. He didn’t think he’d ever gotten the chance to be so carefree. 

He couldn’t blame them for their immaturities. He wasn’t even really upset about it. He was happy to know they’d had better lives than him. He didn’t begrudge them that. It was not a fault with them but with him. Every moment he spent with them he felt the lingering cloud of his life loom behind him. He’d hoped to leave his hurts behind in England, and he had, in a way. He no longer looked around him and saw only the suffering that occurred there, but that didn’t mean his trauma was gone. He shouldn’t have expected it to be. Hermione would have told him it didn’t work like that. She would have made him work through it. She would have made him get better. She would’ve done a lot of things.

But she wasn’t there to. 

He pulled himself out of his depressing thoughts just in time to see another group of teenagers join them. He didn’t recognize them, which he knew meant they had to be the kids from the reservation. If they’d gone to school or lived in Forks, he was bound to have seen their faces at least in passing. He was learning that that might be just how it was when an entire town had a population less than the number of students who attended Hogwarts at any one time.

There were four of them, all with shining black hair and copper skin, and all taller than him (Although he had to acknowledge that that wasn’t much of an accomplishment.) They spread themselves out around the circle, one of them sitting directly to Harry’s left and turning to him with a blinding white smile. 

“Hey! I’m Jacob Black,” the boy introduced himself cheerfully. Harry spared himself a brief moment to ponder whether they had any connection to the ancestral Black family back in London before dismissing it. 

“Oh, um, I’m Harry.” he replied. 

Jacob smiles again, “It’s nice to meet you. You’re the new guy who just moved in a few weeks ago? You bought a truck from my dad, right?” Oh, that’s where he’d heard the name. This must be Billy Black’s mechanic son, then.

“Oh, yeah, I did. You’re Billy’s son then? He mentioned you, said you were the one who fixed up the truck. You did a great job with it.” He had, it ran amazing, especially considering its age.

“Yeah I did,” Jacob reached up a hand to rub at the back of his neck and glanced away.

He ended up talking to Jacob for a few more minutes. He seemed like a nice guy, all earnest and sweet. Harry had thought Russ was puppy-like in his enthusiasm, but he was nothing compared to Jacob. He’s reminded so much of Sirius, whose personality truly reflected his animagus form. It’s not something that Harry can pinpoint specifically, it’s just something in Jacob’s mannerisms that makes him seem so doglike. 

When they broke into groups to go exploring fifteen minutes later, Harry went with Jacob. It’s nice, and vaguely reminiscent of spending time with his godfather back before the war. They take one of the paths that heads off away from the shore at Jacob’s suggestion. He seemed to know the area, so Harry let him take the lead and instead admired the scenery. It’s beautiful, really. The forest is thick and lush, dew drops glistening on leaves and birds singing in nearby trees. They hike for about thirty minutes before reaching their destination.

Standing there, on the small cliff Jacob had led them to, Harry couldn’t stop his thoughts from drifting once again. He cast his mind back to long days spent in his cupboard while the Durlseys had elaborate beach vacations. It had been a dream of his, back then, to go to the ocean. He hadn’t had a chance to be anywhere near the sea until Shell Cottage. He, Hermione, and Ron had spent a few weeks resting there before the Gringots break in and final battle. It had been amazing really, a brief respite from the constant stress and despair of war. Harry knew he’d treasure those memories for the rest of his incredibly long existence, especially considering they were some of the last days he’d ever gotten to spend with his two best friends.

Harry stood there for a few minutes, thinking about it all. Jacob is at his side through his melancholy, and Harry finds himself unendingly grateful for that. Jacob doesn’t know what he’s thinking so seriously about, but he doesn’t grill him or demand answers, content to let him work through it on his own. Harry wan’t sure he could take an interrogation like the type Hermione used to be fond of. 

Eventually, Harry put all his ponderings and past hurts back into the box in his mind they reside in. He couldn’t afford to go down that path too long, it’ll just lead him back to the depression he found himself in after the war. Instead, He turned to Jacob and pretended like nothing had happened, like he hadn’t stood motionless staring at the sea for the better part of ten minutes. 

They sat together on one of the stone benches overlooking the water, sides pressed together. It was easy to pretend he hadn’t been about to throw himself face first into his past moments ago when Jacob was there beside him. Harry likes Jacob, really. Part of it is the fond reminders of Sirius that the guy brings up, but not all of it. Jacob is just so happy, always grinning and laughing. Harry found it hard to be depressed in the face of such boundless joy and enthusiasm.

They sit there together, talking about everything and nothing, for hours. Harry couldn’t remember the last time he had so much fun. At the end of it, when they’re walking back, Jacob gives him his phone number (and is shocked to find out that Harry doesn’t own a phone yet) and makes him promise that they’ll hang out sometime soon. Harry doesn’t fight it, he hasn’t felt this light in weeks.

It’s midafternoon by the time they reach the main portion of the beach and all of their friends are packed and ready to go. Harry said his goodbyes and left. He had a good day, but he was still eager to get home. He’s tired, but the weight of the mystery around Edward Cullen had lightened, just that little bit. It’s enough, and when Harry goes to bed that night, he sleeps peacefully. He doesn’t toss and turn all night or pass out exhausted like he had earlier in the week. He isn’t interrupted by any nightmares either.  
\---------------------  
By the next day, Harry’s bubble of peace has broken and his worries have returned. He grabbed the elder wand from its hiding space again and apparated to outside the wizard's shopping district in Seattle. He hadn’t stepped foot in any wizarding areas that aren’t Grimmauld Place or Gringotts before that, and he couldn’t say that he’d missed it. He glamoured himself, lightening his hair and changing his features just the little bit necessary to make sure he blends in.

The entrance to Maleficus Alley is hidden in the freezer at an abandoned restaurant. Harry’s never been to this particular alley before, so he’s surprised when it’s not half as old fashioned and outdated as the Diagon Alley he’s used to. He headed straight towards the books store at the back of the alley. He spent more time there than planned really, but they had thousands of books, all crammed in unorganized disarray on the shelves, and it took Harry that long just to make sure he hadn’t missed anything. He paid and left quickly, eager to leave the Wizarding World once again.

He returned home with a stack of books on anything remotely related to the three types of beings he narrowed it down to in his earlier research. Harry spent the next few hours immersed in books once again. Hermione would’ve been proud of him. Disappointingly, none of the books hold any information that Harry hadn’t already found, or at least not anything useful. He fell into bed that night, frustrated and unsatisfied, knowing that it would be another restless night of tossing and turning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not really happy with this chapter, it was fighting me pretty bad, so sorry if it's not great.


	4. Chapter 4

Harry didn’t like being caught off guard. He considered himself fairly observant, although he knew Hermione would have disagreed. He had a tendency to miss some things, yes, but not _big_ things, not _obvious_ things. It’s not like he could be blamed for not noticing the giant snake talking to him in the walls. He was generally quite aware of his surroundings. His life had depended on it for years. 

Which is why it irked him when he realized half way through lunch on Monday that Edward Cullen was back, sitting in his seat like he’d never left. Maybe that shouldn't have surprised Harry, it wasn’t like Edward could skip school indefinitely. His perfect grades and his father’s good reputation would only allow him so much leeway, after all. And yet, it did surprise Harry. He supposed that he’d been so caught up wondering what Edward was that he hadn’t even considered that Edward would, eventually, have to return to school.

Not only was Edward back at school on Monday, looking like he’d never left at all, but he was also staring at Harry. Kinda a lot. In fact, as far as Harry was aware, he hadn’t looked away for even a second the entire lunch period. Harry found that it freaked him out more than he'd like to admit. _Merlin,_ was the guy even blinking. Harry couldn’t be sure.

He did his best to ignore it throughout lunch, but, well, it wasn’t exactly an easy thing to ignore. Harry found himself more and more on edge as Edward _just kept staring._ It was grating on his nerves, really. By the time he could finally leave the cafeteria and head to biology, he was about ready to snap. When he got to his seat, Edward was already there. Not only was he there, but he was _still staring._ From the moment Harry entered the room he could feel eyes on him, following his path to his assigned seat.

And Harry stared back.

They stared at each other, neither moving or looking away for 3 minutes, wearing on Harry’s already thin patience the entire time. Eventually, Edward smiled. He fucking _smiled,_ his perfect white teeth stretching into a crooked and unfairly charming grin.

“Hello, Hadrian, correct? My name is Edward Cullen, it’s wonderful to meet you.” Edward said, voice even and calm, as he offered a hand for Harry to shake.

Harry stubbornly didn’t accept Edward's handshake, crossing his arms in agitation instead. “I already know your name, Edward. We sat next to each other last week too, before you off and disappeared. Remember? I don’t know how you couldn’t, you spent the whole period glaring at me like I killed your dog or something.” Harry felt a bit of smug satisfaction as Edward’s smile faltered. It didn’t last long though, a moment later that stupid, perfect smile was back in place, his hand still stretched out to Harry.

“Oh, um, yes. I’m sorry about that, really. I wasn’t angry at you, I was just feeling a bit under the weather.” Harry didn’t buy it for a second. “I’m sorry to have upset you. Perhaps we could start over?” 

Harry didn’t exactly want to, but Edward seemed genuine enough. Plus, Harry was in no position to go making enemies over nothing. Especially enemies who definitely weren’t human and may-or-may-not know who he was or be able to find out. It wasn’t like this meant friends or anything, just not enemies. Realizing he’d been staring at Edward, still with his hand outstretched, for a few moments too long while thinking it over, he uncrossed his arms. It would probably be for the best, right? 

“Right, I guess that’s ok. No reason to let there be bad will between us if there doesn’t need to be, yeah?” He hesitantly shook Edward’s hand, a pit of his previous annoyance creeping back in when Edward’s smile only got brighter.

And that was that. They didn’t talk overly much after that, but they did work peacefully together on the day’s lab. Harry had to admit that it wasn’t terrible, even if he was still a little peeved. Edward was smart, that much was obvious, and willing to answer any questions Harry had. Not that there were many, but, after learning so much in so little time, he was bound to have missed a thing or two. They parted amicably after class, heading off in opposite directions. 

It wasn’t till much later that night that Harry realized how cold Edward’s hands had been when they’d touched. So maybe he wasn’t as observant as he’d like to think.  
\-------------------  
Now, when Harry had shook Edward’s hand and agreed to start over, he’d kinda thought that that would be it. They’d work together in class, talking when necessary, and wouldn’t interact outside of class. He was fine with that, he didn’t want to be friends or anything, he just didn’t want the guy to continue to spend all his time staring at him. Harry was pretty sure that’s all he’d been agreeing to.

Edward did not seem to agree. It was fine for the first couple of days. Everything went how Harry excepted, albeit with more staring on Edward’s part than he was really ok with. He’d really thought Edward would be over staring by now, but it wasn’t a big deal, only a little annoying.

What was a big deal, however, was when, on Thursday, Edward deviated from their new norm. It was normal at first. Edward was already there when Harry got to class, as he was coming to expect. Edward greeted him politely, but didn’t speak to him after that. Until about halfway through the day’s lab, that was.

“So Hadrian,” Edward started suddenly, instantly putting Harry on edge, “where are you from?” Harry had no desire to talk to Edward, at all. But again with the not making enemies thing. So he replied. 

“Surrey.” 

“Oh really? I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, you certainly have the accent. Did you know that that’s where my father is originally from? He hasn’t been back in years. You’re a long way from home, how’d you end up in Forks?”

“I just did.” Edward didn’t look terribly happy with his non-answer. 

“Oh?”

“I needed a fresh start, ok? Too many memories back in England.” Even that much was more than he wanted to tell him.

Edward frowned, “I see. What of your family? I had assumed your parents moved with you, but I haven’t seen them around town.”

“My parents are dead. And I’m emancipated, actually.” Edward’s frown deepened for a moment, seeming to realise that maybe that wasn’t the best subject to ask about, before he opened his mouth to speak again. He didn’t get a chance to, as Harry immediately cut him off.

“Look Edward, what’s your game? I agreed to a fresh start, not an interrogation. Why do you even want to know about me in the first place? It’s not like it’s any of your business.”

“I am… sorry if my questions seemed intrusive to you. I wasn’t trying to offend you, truly. I’m merely curious. I’m sorry to have brought up your family, I did not realize that it would be a sore subject for you.”

“It’s fine, you didn’t know. Can you just drop it though? I promise I’m really not that interesting, and, not to be rude or anything, I don’t really want to talk to you. Especially if ‘talking’ is going to mean you asking increasingly intrusive questions about things that have nothing to do with you.”

“I apologize again, I did not wish to dredge up unpleasant memories. I don’t understand why you’re not willing to talk at all to me. Surely it wouldn’t be unbearable to get to know one another a little? I promise that I will endeavor not to touch on sore subjects anymore.”

“Fine. What did you want to know?” Harry wasn’t sure why he agreed, but maybe answering a couple of Edward’s questions would get the guy off his back. It was probably better to just get it over with.

“I, ahem, I’m not really sure where to start. It isn’t like I had a planned list of questions to ask you, I just wanted to get to know you, I swear. How about you just tell me how you’ve been liking Forks so far?”

“It’s been fine, I guess. The weather is a lot like home, so there’s not much to complain about there. I can’t say I’m used to small-town life though. Does everyone really have to be so interested in gossip? You’d think they’d never had a new person move here before with how they all reacted to me.”

“It’s true, people tend to move away from here significantly more than they move to Forks. My family and I were the last new arrivals, so I know how you feel to some extent. They don’t really mean any harm, but they can be too curious for their own good.”

“Sounding familiar there huh? It’s not like you aren’t being the same way. What is it that makes you so interested in getting to know me anyway? I’m really nothing special.”

“I’ll have to disagree with you on that, Hadrian. I think you’re quite special. You’re very different from the other people in Forks.”

Harry didn’t get a chance to respond to that, as Mr.Molina chose that moment to call the class's attention back to the front. Harry was thankful for the interruption. To Harry’s relief, Edward didn’t seem inclined to continue his questioning in the last few minutes of class. When the bell rang, Edward said goodbye to him exactly as he had the previous days, like he hadn’t just forced Harry into an unwanted conversation.

Harry was in a bad mood for the rest of the day. He just couldn’t get his mind off Edward Cullen. He was fine with him being whatever type of creature he was, it wasn't like he was hurting anybody. At least, not that Harry was aware of. He was curious, maybe overly so, but that wasn’t why Harry spent all of his next periods thinking about him. Harry just didn’t understand Edward. Even beyond being a magical non-human, Edward was strange. What business did he have prying into Harry’s life? Why would he even want to?

By the time Harry finally made it home, he was emotionally and physically worn out. So much so that he fell asleep before the sun was even fully down, far sooner than he would regularly. He hardly managed to make himself take a shower and eat a small meal before crawling into bed and drifting off, sleeping far more soundly than was normal for him.  
————————-  
To say that Harry was not looking forward to biology that Friday would be an understatement. He knew better than to think that Edward wouldn’t continue yesterday’s bizarre interrogation, and Harry was dreading it. He was uncomfortable with anyone being that interested in him, especially when said person was a magical being who may-or-may-not know who he was. He couldn’t see a way that this whole thing would end well for him.

Edward spent lunch watching him, again. Because of course he did. His siblings seemed to have taken notice now, as they spent the better part of lunch watching Edward watching him. Harry was trying not to notice, he really was, but it was proving hard to ignore someone constantly boring holes in the back of his head.

It was fine. He’d get through the day and have the whole weekend blessedly Edward free. He knew that. He kept telling himself that he just had to make it a few more hours, but it wasn’t really helping Harry’s mood any.

Edward didn’t bother waiting till after the lab was over with this time. Instead, he started talking the second Harry sat down.

“Good afternoon, Hadrian. How are you today?” Edward said, tone as even and polite as ever.

“Just dandy, Edward.”

“I really am sorry that I upset you yesterday, and I hope that you can forgive me. If it’s at all possible, I’d like us to be friends.”

Harry snorted, “Friends, huh? I’m not so sure about that.”

“Why not? What is it that makes you so averse to being my friend?” The poor guy actually looked confused, so Harry decided to take pity on him. Just a little.

“Look Edward,” Harry sighed, “It’s not that I have any big problem with you or anything ok? I just don’t get what you’re doing here. What’s your game? I’m not special, I’m not interesting, and from what I hear, you and your siblings hardly give anyone the time of day. Why should I be any different? I just can’t help but think you have some sort of ulterior motive.”

“I just, I can’t tell you. I don’t really know all of why myself, but that isn’t why I can’t tell you. You’re a mystery to me, Hadrian. I meant it when I said you’re very different from the rest of Forks. Not only in your personality and disinterest in gossip. I don’t- I’m very good at reading people, usually. But not you. I can never tell what you’re thinking or why you’re reacting the way you are. It’s- it’s _frustrating_ , I suppose. I feel drawn to you, I want to figure you out and learn about you. I can’t help it. It’s understandable that you’re suspicious of my intentions, especially since I feel that I can’t be completely honest with you about my reasoning, but I swear that I don’t mean you any harm.”

And that was, well that was the most honest thing he’d ever heard come out of Edward Cullen’s mouth. It left him a bit lost for words, honestly. It was obvious that it’d been hard for Edward to admit all that. He couldn’t help but be surprised by how reassured he felt. He still had doubts, of course. Lots and lots. But they didn’t seem quite as pressing now. Harry wasn’t sure what Edward meant by “reading people.” He doubted that Edward meant the regular form of reading people. Surely Harry couldn’t be that closed off if that was what he was talking about. He’d always worn his heart on his sleeve, always been prone to losing his temper and raging at everyone. Yes, he’d gotten somewhat better during the war, and he felt that most people wouldn’t be able to tell his emotions most of the time, but if Edward really was as good as he said at it, Harry really shouldn’t prove to be a challenge. 

Despite his remaining reservations, Harry felt his resolve begin to waver. He could agree to friends, right? What would be the harm? It wasn’t like he was agreeing to marry the guy or buy a timeshare with him, and Edward wasn’t _the worst_ person he could imagine being friends with. He was cryptic and annoying, sure, but as far as he could tell, he wasn’t rude, murderous (anymore…), gossipy, manipulative, or any of those other things he’d dealt with over the years. In fact, he didn’t have any glaringly obvious faults except being annoying, but, well, it wasn’t like Harry hadn’t dealt with that before. And if Edward did turn out to be unbearable, he could just go back to ignoring and avoiding him, right? 

So he stuck out his hand like Edward had done earlier that week.

“Fine. We’ll be friends.” Harry said. Immediately, a blinding smile took over Edward’s face. He looked like a kid on Christmas. If Harry had thought that Edward’s previous smile was charming, it had nothing on this one. His entire face lit up, his eyes sparkled, and damn if it didn’t remind Harry of Cedric all over again. 

“Thank you, Hadrian. You won’t regret this.” Edward promised as he shook Harry’s hand, his grip firm and his skin hard and cold. 

And Harry almost believed him. Almost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this chapter is a little short, I really wanted to get it out tonight. If all goes to plan, I'll have another chapter published either tomorrow or sunday.


End file.
